General Notes on Sheet Metal Processing (3-D SM)

Technology data
Sheet metal main part
Part structure
Part attributes
Bending simulation
Blank
Material file
Derived drawing
Weld seams

Technology data

HiCAD Sheet Metal enables you to model different sheet parts using the technology data.

The technology data includes:

Sheet length/height
Bend radius,
Bend angle,
Fitting mode or
Clearance between added sheets.

Furthermore, you can create sheets from a 3-D body, from 2-D developments, from polylines and as an external offset of a 3-D body.

Sheet metal main part

You can only find the Sheet Main Part function in the context menu of a sheet part of the drawing. If you choose this function, the base sheet (sheet main part) becomes active, and the context menu containing the processing functions opens. The selected function is then applied to the base sheet.

Part structure

Flanges and bend zones are created as equal sub-parts of the subordinate part of the selected reference flange. This enables assemblies, which, in turn, may be grouped under a main assembly, to be handled correctly.

Part attributes

Each sheet main part contains specific non-graphical information, such as quantity, item number, part name, weight or dimensions. This information, which are in HiCAD referred to as part attributes, are taken into account for BOM creation.

Use the Part attributes function (right-click on sheet main part in the ICN, please also see HiCAD Basics chapter) to assign the attributes to the sheet main part.

Some part attributes can be assigned automatically, e.g. the sheet thickness, weight or the dimensions of a sheet development. For this, the files ABWPAR.DAT and ALG3PAR.DAT need to be adapted accordingly.

In the SYS/ABWPAR.DAT file, via the setting

Sheets BOM-relevant (yes=1 , no=0) 1

The surfaces of the sheets are precisely calculated and entered as surface attributes. You can preset in the SYS/ABWPAR.DAT file if and when you want the calculation to be performed.

Stuecklistenattribute aktualisieren ( 0=nein, 1=beim Positionieren, 2 = immer)
0 ;
[Update BOM attributes (0=no, 1=when itemising, 2=always)
0]

The calculation and taking over into the BOM takes place in mm². Steel Engineering parts are taken over into the BOM in m².

The selection of the parts to be calculated can be preset in the ALG3DPAR.DAT file:

Beim Aktualisieren von Datei Positionsnummer/Teileattribute abgleichen 0:nur Nebenteile, 1:Nie 2:Haupt- und Nebenteile
2 ;
[Adjust item number when updating parts (0=only sub-parts,1= never, 2= main parts and sub-parts)
2]

The weight calculation mode is set in the ALG3DPAR.DAT file:
Update weight of parts (0:never, 1: when itemizing, 2: always) Gewichtsberechnung ( 0:keine, 1 beim Positionieren, 2:immer) 1

If you want to assign different item numbers to sheet metal parts, you need to specify the setting in the STB_Parameter.DAT file accordingly:

Berücksichtigung von Teileattributen bei der Gleichteilerkennung (0 = nein, 1 = ja):

1
[Consider part attributes during identical part search (0 = no, 1 = yes):
1]

For sheets, there is the additional coating attribute One-sided. If One-sided is activated, the sheet edge will be taken into account for surface calculation.

The part attribute Height was formerly used for entering sheet thicknesses as part attributes. There is now a new sheet thickness attribute for this. If you want to continue to additionally specify the thickness in the Height field, please modify the SYS/ABWPAR:DAT file as follows:

Abmessungen aus Abwicklungskante (1 = §L2D,§B2D,§T2D) (2 = 1 + §02,§03,§04) (3= 1 + §04)
3
[Dimensions from development edge (1 = §L2D,§B2D,§T2D) (2 = 1 + §02,§03,§04) (3= 1 + §04)
3]

For part attributes, the surfaces of folded sheets are calculated in square millimetres. When transferred to BOMs, the values are converted to square metres.

Bending simulation

The bend simulation enables the bend process to be tested visually so that faults can be identified. Processing (e.g. boring) beyond the bend zones is possible in the unfolded state and often the only production-specific modelling of the sheet construction. Automatic backbend is possible if you select the function again.

Blank

To obtain the blank (development) of the modelled sheet part, HiCAD Sheet Metal provides the development according to different calculation methods, which take into account the material-specific springback behaviour during bending.

The bend lines, bend zones and bend angles can be displayed in the blank. Automatic part dimensioning enables a quick, user-defined variant of dimensioning.

HiCAD Sheet Metal can develop both sheet parts and 3-D parts and sheet parts from other systems.

The blank can be prepared for an NC programming system.

Material file

The system provides you with a material file. You choose the material via Settings > Basic Setting > Sheet Metal Development> Material.

You can use the Catalogue Editor (EXE/CATEDITOR.EXE) to enhance the material file as required.

Derived drawing

Derived drawings (aka workshop drawings) showing developments, blanks with section paths and 3-D views are an essential prerequisite for an accurate work preparation and production. For the automatic creation and management of these important documents, activate the Drawing tab and select Itemisation/Detailing > Drawing derivation. You are then enabled to create Sheet Metal workshop drawings, Their creation is largely similar to the creation of Steel Engineering workshop drawings.

Weld seams

If you use the 3-D function Weld seam (3-D Standard > Standard Parts) for the welding on of a sheet metal main part, the weld seams will be determined for all sub-parts, and superfluous (double) powder marking lines will be removed. If a sub-part is selected for a welding, only the sub-part will be welded on.